If you don't know how to tie a knot...tie a-lot! Don't be that guy.
Every new boater should know how to work with lines. This includes understanding when to use a certain type of knot and how to tie a proper knot. The only way to truly master the art of tying a knot is Repetition … Repetition… Repetition!
Boat knots, which ones to use, and for what purpose are anyone’s opinion. As you become more experienced, you will learn what knots work for you the best. The most important fact about using and tying knots is for safety and security of property and person.
To better assist one's learning objective, the process of learning how to tie knots might be easier if you use a visual how-to reference. The Internet is full of of how-to videos. Rather than recreating "the wheel," one can easily Google a knot for an excellent visual how-to reference. However, sometimes you might be in a location where Internet access is not available. When this happens there is are excellent mobile device apps out there. My favorite mobile app for learning knots is called "Knots 3D."
The Anatomy of a Line
While not actually necessary to know for tying, knowing a little bit about the line may better assist one in knowing which line works best. While there are many types of materials used for ropes and lines, nylon is the most widely used material. The characteristics of nylon are strong, stretchy, and steadfast (sun resistant) which is why nylon is the ideal material.
There are two main types of line; 3-strand and braided. In the simplest terms, braided line is the strongest between the two types. However the 3-strand line is considerably less expensive than braided; which is why you typically find 3-strand line on longer applications (applications over 100 feet, such as anchor line). 3-strand lines are much more rigid than a braided line and an excellent option for lines that are rarely handled; e.g. anchor line. Braided lines are very flexible and manageable and are often the popular choice for a vessel's dock lines.
Line thickness (or diameter) is a the major factor when addressing a line's ability to hold a load. The most common sizes of line widths are 3/16 inch, 1/2 inch, 5/8 inch, 3/4 inch, and 1 inch.
3/16 Inch Boats under 18 feet or accessories
such as fenders.
1/2 Inch Boats 18 to 30 feet
5/8 Inch Boats 30 to 45 feet
3/4 Inch Boats 45 to 65 feet
1 inch Boats over 65 feet
Dock lines, quality dock lines, can be expensive. Their costs are directly related to the material used, line thickness and length.
The rule-of-thumb for how many dock lines and the length of dock lines needed is the following:
The minimum recommended number of dock lines to secure a boat is 6; bow (2 lines), stern (2 lines) and midship (2 spring lines). I personally add 2 extra lines for spare or unexpected use.
Line length is recommended to be two third's (2/3) length of the boat's LOA (length overall). Dock lines come in standard sizes of 10, 15, 25, 50, 100 feet. A 26-foot boat would require 25 foot dock lines. 26 X .66 = 17.16 feet; rounded up is 25 feet.
When dealing with anchor rode (anchor line); a minimum of 150 (up to 300) is recommended using 1/2 or 5/8 inch 3-strand. Boats requiring larger diameters are best served by having galvanized chain as their anchor rode. Stern anchor lines should be a minimum length of 100 to 200 feet.
Anatomy of Tying a Knot
Some instructional content will make reference to key parts of the line. There are 4 main parts of a line when line handling.
Working End (or Running End) The end of the line that you are working with
Standing End (or Bitter End) The end of the line that is not being used
Blight (or partial turn) The part of the line that doubles back on itself without crossing
Loop (or full turn) A blight that crosses itself
Eye of the Line
Purchased dock lines often will come with one end finished with a non-adjustable secured closed loop called the "eye." This loop is a very useful attribute of a dock line. This loop combined with inserting the standing end of a line creates a cinch or self-tightening (or tension) loop-knot that is automatically created. The most practical use of this type of loop knot is securing the created eye-end loop around a dock piling; once the loop knot is secured around the piling, the working end can now be used to secure the line to the boat's cleat using a cleat hitch.
Cleat Hitch Knot
A cleat knot is your first and primary knot everyone needs to know to secure a boat to a dock. The cleat hitch knot it is a knot that is used in conjunction with a device made out of metal, plastic, wood or other rigid material that resembles an anvil or the horns of a cow and are found on all boats and in most cases, docks, piers and slips.
An alternative to the cleat hitch when using the end of a line that has an eye is called "dipping the eye" on the cleat. This is most often used to secure a dock line to the boat allowing the working end for used around the dock cleat or piling.
Dipping the Eye on a boat cleat allows for flexibility when cleat locations on the dock are unknown or varied. Often you will often find guest and fuel docks that will dip the eye on their dock cleats allowing the boater to use their lines (rather than the boater using their own) to secure the boat.
Hitch Knot
The hitch knot is the second and most widely used knot in recreational boating. Hitch knots are used to when tying a line to a post, rail or piling. It can be used to secure fenders on boat rails, secure a boat to a dock piling (when there are no available cleats) other non-critical applications. A hitch knot is considered a tension knot; meaning, the knot's bite (or holding power) is most effective when there is a load (or tension) on the line and or knot.
There are several variations of the hitch. The two most common are the hitch (or half hitch) and the clove hitch (or double hitch) knot.
Gasket (Buntline) Coil
When lines are not in use, they should be neatly stored. I have been tying knots for a long time and there are many variations to the Buntline knot. In my opinion, my version of the buntline is the most versatile method used for properly storing unused diock lines.
When you start to wrap the line in to a coil (creating large even loops), start creating the coil by using the end that does not have the eye.
At the point where you have enough of the line left to make two to four full turns around the middle of the coil and there is at least 2 feet of remaining line plus the eye...
With the remaining line (the working end) that has the eye, create a blight (half loop) and feed about 6-8 inches of the created blight between the 2-4 turns in the middle of the coil and the numerous blights (the coils end; top or bottom)
With the blight now fed through the top (or bottom) of the coil, take the line's eye and feed the eye over the top of the coil and through the blight (or half loop) created; then pull until tight.
This method now provides a handle (or loop) that you can hand the line on something for long term storage.
The Bowline Knot
When dock lines do not have a pre-manufactured eye, or the loop that the eye creates is too small, or you need to create an eye around something (such as a railing, a post, a piling) the bowline knot is the knot of choice. Outside the cleat and hitch knots, the bowline is the most tied knot. The bowline is the most challenging of the beginner knots. However, this knot is easily learned with repetition...repetition...repetition.
The bowline knot is considered a tension knot; therefore, in order for the knot to be secured, the knot should have a load applied or the knot will be at risk of falling out.
A Double Bowline is an excellent knot when the line and loop are consistently exposed to wet environments.
Stopper Knot
A stopper knot is a special knot used to prevent a line from passing through an opening or a hole that a line has been fed through. There are many varied types of stopper knots The easiest and very effective stopper knot is a Figure-8 knot. The figure-8 knot is mostly used to secure the end of the line when the line is ran through a cylindrical fender. The biggest challenge of the figure-8 knot is the size of the stopper.
When a stopper requires a little more bulk, a very effective and widely unknown stopper knot to use is the Ashley Stopper Knot, also known as the Oysterman's stopper. This knot's special characteristic is its ability to resist or collapse in size when great tension is being applied and where other stopper knots might give way.
BONUS KNOT
Sheet Bend Knot
The Sheet Bend is an easy way to join two ropes; especially (and works best) if the lines are of different diameters. For lines that are equal in size you can tie a Double Sheet Bend.
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